Sunday, November 10, 2013

Musicians – Their Stage Names and Their Real Names

This post was originally inspired in July 2012 when Billboard magazine put up a post on their website about musicians’ real names. The link annoyingly forces one to scroll through 150 pics to see the full list, so I’ve redone it here and added more names. In November 2013, I updated the list and am reposting it, inspired by Matthew Wilkening’s “Stage Name Origins” article at UltimateClassicRock.com.

First, a few thoughts. Some music stars might have had a tough go with their original names. How far would George Michael have gone with the unwieldy moniker of Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou? Queen’s Freddie Mercury would have spent a career explaining how to pronounce Farrokh Bulsara. Certainly Stevland Judkins doesn’t roll off the tongue as smoothly as Stevie Wonder. Would the rap world have taken Queen Latifah seriously as Dana Owens?

Still, I question why some of these stars changed their names. Come on, Marc Anthony. Didn’t you think Marco Muniz had a ring to it? Frankly, I like the name Cameron Thomaz just fine, Wiz Khalifa. And when you’ve got a great first name like Terius or Jayceon, why not work with that? I’m looking at you The-Dream and The Game.

There are also stars who understandably thought their given name wasn’t catchy enough, but probably should have searched a little longer for a better stage name. Admittedly, if my name were Wouter De Backer, I’d want something catchier, too – although I’m not sure Gotye is the best answer. And as for you, Adam Wiles, I get it. You wanted something that popped, that zinged, that people wouldn’t forget – so you went with Calvin Harris?? Keep trying.

Some stars’ names sound made up, but if you check their birth certificates, Madonna, Prince, and Ke$ha (sans dollar sign) really are their names. My favorite, though, is Neil Diamond. Guess what his real name is? Neil Diamond. Anyway, here’s a list of what I have gathered thus far. Stage names are listed first (alphabetically) followed by given names. Parentheses indicate a group with which the musician is closely identified.

A

Aaliyah: Aaliyah Dana Haughton

Johnny Ace: John Alexander Jr.

Cannonball Adderley: Julian Adderley

Adele: Adele Laurie Blue Adkins

Adele Laurie Blue Adkins, image from cnn.com

Clay Aiken: Clayton Holmes Grissom

Akon: Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam

Ed Ames: Ed Urick

Tori Amos: Myra Ellen Amos

Trey Anastasio (Phish): Ernest Joseph Anastasio III

André 3000 (Outkast): André Lauren Benjamin

Julie Andrews: Julia Elizabeth Wells

Marc Anthony: Marco Antonio Muniz

Adam Ant: Stuart Leslie Goddard

apl.de.ap (Black Eyed Peas): Allan Pineda Lindo, Jr.

Fiona Apple: Fiona Apple Maggart

A$AP Rocky: Rakim Mayers

Ashanti: Ashanti Shaquoya "Shani Bani" Douglas

Fred Astaire: Frederick Austerlitz

Chet Atkins: Chester Burton Atkins

A-Trak: Alain Macklovitch

Frankie Avalon: Francis Thomas Avallone

Avicii: Tim Bergling

B

Babyface: Kenneth Brian Edmonds

Erykah Badu: Erica Wright

Ginger Baker: Peter Edward Baker

LaVern Baker: Delores Williams

Hank Ballard (Hank Ballard and the Midnighters): John Henry Kendricks

Afrika Bambaataa: Kevin Donovan

Syd Barrett (Pink Floyd): Roger Keith Barrett

Beck: Bek David Campbell

Pat Benatar: Patricia Mae Andrejewski

Tony Bennett: Anthony Dominick Benedetto

Anthony Dominick Benedetto, image from Wikimedia.org

Brook Benton: Benjamin Franklin Pierre

Beyoncé: Beyoncé Giselle Knowles

Jello Biafra (Dead Kennedys): Eric Reed Boucher

Bo Bice: Harold Elwin Bice III

Big Boi (OutKast): Antwan Andre Patton

The Big Bopper: Jiles Perry Richardson

Big Daddy Kane: Antonio Mortimer Hardy

Bjork: Bjork Gudmundsdottir

Black Francis (Pixies): Charles Michael Kittridge Thompson IV

Cilla Black: Priscilla Maria Veronica White

B.O.B.: Bobby Ray Simmons, Jr.

Marc Bolan (T-Rex): Marc Feld

Michael Bolton: Michael Bolotin

Bon Iver: Justin Vernon

Jon Bon Jovi: John Francis Bongiovi, Jr.

Gary “U.S.” Bonds: Gary Anderson

Bizzy Bone: Bryon McCane

Bono (U2): Paul David Hewson

Paul Hewson, image from bonoonline.com

Sonny Bono: Salvatore Philip Bono

Pat Boone: Charles Eugene Boone

David Bowie: David Robert Hayward Stenton Jones

David Robert Hayward Stenton Jones, image from telegraph.co.uk

Bow Wow: Shad Gregory Moss

Boy George (Culture Club): George Alan O’Dowd

Bonnie Bramlett: Bonnie Lynn O’Farrell

Michelle Branch: Michelle Jacquet DeSevren Branch-Landau

Teresa Brewer: Teresa Breuer

Foxy Brown: Inga Marchand

Buckethead: Brian Carroll

Busta Rhymes: Trevor Taheim Smith, Jr.

C

Freddy Cannon: Frederick Anthony Picariello

Captain Beefheart: Don Van Vliet

Irene Cara: Irene Escalera

Eric Carr (KISS): Paul Charles Caravello

Vicki Carr: Florencia Cardona

Cat Power: Charlyn Marie Marshall

Chamillionaire: Hakeem Seriki

Gene Chandler: Eugene Dixon

Ray Charles: Ray Charles Robinson

Chubby Checker: Ernest Evans

Cher: Cherilyn Sarkisian LaPiere

Johnny Christ (Avenged Sevenfold): Jonathan Lewis Seward

Lou Christie: Lugee Alfredo Giovanni Sacco

Charlotte Church: Charlotte Maria Reed

Eric Clapton: Eric Patrick Clapp

Gene Clark (Byrds): Harold Eugene Clark

David Clayton-Thomas (Blood, Sweat & Tears): David Thomsett

Patsy Cline: Virginia Patterson Hensley

Virginia Patterson Hensley, image from last.fm

Commander Cody: George Frayne

Nat “King” Cole: Nathaniel Adams Coles

Jessi Colter: Miriam Johnson

Common: Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr.

Perry Como: Pierino Ronald Como

Coolio: Artis Ivey Jr.

Alice Cooper: Vincent Damon Furnier

Vincent Damon Furnier, image from arts.blogs.pressdemocrat.com

Elvis Costello: Declan Patrick McManus

John Cougar: John Mellencamp

Peter Criss (KISS): George Peter John Criscuola

Bing Crosby: Harry Lillis Crosby

David Crosby: David Van Cortland

Christopher Cross: Christopher Geppert

Miley Cyrus: Destiny Hope Cyrus

D

Dick Dale: Richard Monsour

D’Angelo: Michael Eugene Archer

Danger Mouse: Brian Joseph Burton

Bobby Darin: Walden Waldo Robert Cassotto

Dimebag Darrell: Darrell Abbott

Mac Davis: Morris Davis

Doris Day: Doris Kappelhoff

Taylor Dayne: Leslie Wonderman

Deadmau5: Joel Thomas Zimmerman

Jimmy Dean: Seth Ward

Kiki Dee: Pauline Mathews

Desmond Dekker: Desmond Dacres

Lana Del Rey: Elizabeth Woolridge Grant

John Denver: John Henry Deutschendorf

Rick Derringer: Richard Zehringer

Jason Derulo: Jason Desrouleaux

Jackie DeShannon: Sharon Lee Myers

Neil Diamond: Neil Diamond

Bo Diddley: Ellas Otha Bates (name upon adoption: Ellas McDaniel)

Diddy/P. Diddy/Puff Daddy: Sean John Combs

Sean John Combs, pick a name already and stick with it! Image from theurbandaily.com.

2 comments:

It would be really interesting to know about those famous people who are in Rock & Roll fame hall with their stage names. I also tried to gather information on over this topic couple of days ago but could find anything.